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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25632694">The Witch’s Touch</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Geeky_Mind/pseuds/Geeky_Mind'>Geeky_Mind</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Witch’s Touch [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Female Harry Potter, Kidnapped Tony Stark, Kidnapping, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 09:53:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>15,804</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25632694</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Geeky_Mind/pseuds/Geeky_Mind</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Auror partners Dorea and Draco were captured while on a mission… injured and unable to use magic, they're met with unexpected people which includes a muggle genius and a mad ‘relative’ no one knew existed until now. Will they be able to escape? What does the future hold for them?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Harry Potter/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Witch’s Touch [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1858090</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>366</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I do not own Harry Potter or the Marvel Universe. They belong to their respective authors and writers.</p><p>I would like to apologize for any mistakes in advance. Please do not copy this story.</p><p>Tony Stark – 29 May 1976 – 33yrs<br/>Dorea Potter – 31 July 1982 – 27y</p><p>According to Wiki, Tony was Kidnapped on Feb 13th 2009; his return press conference is dated to May 3rd, 2009. We’ll be going according to that.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
  
</p>
<p>She held her breath, staring as the man groaned, obviously waking up after days and shifted on the cot. She shrank back against the other side of the wall where another cot was lying, trying to hide as best as could. She was sure she had a fracture in her left leg, but what worried her was Malfoy – his head, stomach and his wand hand were covered with bandages. It had been more than a week and she was still waiting for him to wake up.</p>
<p>She didn’t know who the man was but remembered these people calling him ‘the merchant of death’, talking about how they want him to build weapons for them. One thing she knew for sure – these people were terrorists and it was self-explanatory why they want this particular man to stay alive, but why was she here? Wherever this was?</p>
<p>She and Malfoy had been on a mission in Istanbul, Turkey after 37 people were killed in ‘terrorist’ attacks. The moment the two of them had entered the warehouse, they had sensed that something was amiss. She couldn’t mistake it after working as an Auror for about 10 years now, 6 of which had been with Malfoy. What caught them off-guard was that there was no trace of magic. The next thing she knew, there was gas everywhere which made them lightheaded and then there was the blast. The last thing she remembered was seeing heavily armed muggle men before she felt a pinprick of sensation and everything went dark.</p>
<p>She had woken up in this god-awful cage with every part of her body throbbing and new clasped bracelets wrapped around both their wrists. She had tried to take the heavy metal off, only for it to tighten and send shockwaves throughout her body. They had been drugged and they didn’t have their wands with them anymore. That’s when she realised that they were both fucked, because the bracelet was binding her magic. Nothing made sense. She was alone with Malfoy who needed a healer. She remembered him telling her about Astoria finally being pregnant with their first child after years, not trying to be too excited but failing miserably. Now here he was, fighting for his life and there was nothing she could do to help. She had never felt this powerless before. She had been praying… hoping that Kingsley, Ron, Hermione, Neville or anyone would find them, but after more than a week, her hope was diminishing.</p>
<p>Her eyes went back to the man when he groaned again. As far as she could tell, the man was a muggle, but she wasn’t going to make another mistake thinking that he was harmless… no, she had learnt the lesson the hard way and now, they were paying for it. She winced, the movement causing pain and her hand went to her ribcage involuntarily. For most part, it was healed but the medicine provided to her was almost gone and she was saving it for her partner, for whenever he woke up. He had been in the worse condition and the collars biding their magic weren’t doing them any favours. She couldn’t remember how many days has it been or why were these muggles holding them hostage or who the man was she was forced to save. They had dragged him into the cave that served her as a cell, bleeding and broken. He’d been cut open and had a magnet in his chest keeping him alive, but it wasn’t enough. One of them had threatened to kill Draco if she didn’t do anything to save the man. She had no idea how they knew about the existence of magic or where they got the binding collars from, but she was forced to tell them about the ingredients for a potion that could save a life. She had never been good at potions, but Hermione had taught her how to make potions in case of emergencies. Thankfully, it worked as the man gasped with obvious pain and his eyes snapped open.</p>
<p>He coughed and his hand went to the tube in his nose. Even in the drugged state, he didn’t think twice and yanked it out, making her shudder reflexively. That had to hurt, but she stayed in the corner, not willing to draw attention… his or of the ones keeping eyes on them through the cameras.</p>
<p>He sat up, eyes filtering around wildly, just the way she had done a couple of days ago. Her hand involuntarily tightened on the heavy skillet that had been provided to her for cooking, ready to hit him in case he tried anything; not that she thought he could in his current condition. Maybe she was being paranoid, but who could blame her? For a second, she thought to ask him if he too was a part of this organisation or why these men called him ‘the merchant of death’, bur discarded it as soon as it came, not sure if it would do more harm or good.</p>
<p>She saw how his eyes swept through the cave, lingering on the heavy door that had been barred from the outside and then at the numerous cameras.</p>
<p>“Fuck!” he rasped, thankfully in English.</p>
<p>Tilting his head, he looked around, frowning when he saw Draco lying on a cot before landing on her and they both froze. She saw the same panic in his eyes that must be reflecting in hers. Then slowly, he looked down at the metal and the wires running out of his chest and demanded, “What the hell did you do to me?”</p>
<p>Just for a moment, she thought of snapping at him, but the naked fear on his face stopped her. He seemed like a victim, just like her or Malfoy. So instead, she said, “They were the ones who saved your life. I didn’t do much.”</p>
<p>He glanced at the wires following the battery and he just stared, looking lost and she couldn’t help but feel pity. He must be scared because clearly, he seemed surprised to be here and on top of that, waking up to a metal piece stuck in your chest.</p>
<p>She sighed, knowing she had to tell him what she knew. He deserved at least that much.</p>
<p>“That is an electromagnet, hooked up to a car battery. They said that they removed as much shrapnel from your chest as they could, but there are still some pieces left.” She told him earning a sharp glare and added, “I heard them talking. That magnet is keeping the shrapnel from entering your heart. You should’ve been dead, but it's keeping you alive."</p>
<p>He glanced back at the wires and the magnet in his chest for some time before zipping the chain of his sweater close. He looked scared as he stared into the burning fire where the food was cooked. She chose to stay quiet despite the million questions filtering in her head. He seemed disoriented, ready to collapse any second, so she moved towards the utensils, where a jug of water was left the day before, poured a glass and held it out for him. He just stared, making no move to take it, so she whispered hesitantly, “It’s water.”</p>
<p>He didn’t say anything but inclined his head in thanks.</p>
<p>“Who’s that?” he asked, nodding towards Malfoy.</p>
<p>She sighed, knowing she had to give him something and replied cautiously, “A friend.”</p>
<p>He eyed Draco’s prone form before his eyes snapped back to her and muttered, “How exactly did you end up here?"</p>
<p>“We were trying to find out more about the terrorist attacks in Istanbul. As you can tell it didn’t go as planned… I woke up here.” She told him simply.</p>
<p>“Wait… you work for the British government? Does that mean…” He started only to startle when she hissed, “Shut up!”</p>
<p>His eyes went wide, but he didn’t get the time to question her as she shuffled, planting herself between the door and the man lying on the cot. The huge door was thrown open and numerous men stepped into the room with large guns. Along with them was the man who had given her the medicines, the one who had saved this man. Yinsen, if she remembered correctly. Their leader shoved him forward with so much force, that he landed near their feet, but hurriedly got up and put his hands on his head. Then the man, who seemed to be their leader, began to speak. A long-ass speech apparently and she had to bit her lip to keep her mouth shut. She couldn’t use her magic and she wasn’t going to leave Draco vulnerable by doing something stupid.</p>
<p>Then her attention was snapped towards Yinsen as he translated, “He says ‘Welcome, Tony Stark, the most famous mass murderer in the history of America and is honoured. He wants you to build the missile. The Jericho missile that you demonstrated.”</p>
<p>With that, Yinsen took the picture and showed it to the man. “This one.”</p>
<p>The man eyed the picture, looking grim for a second before his eyes turned hard and he said, “I refuse.”</p>
<p>Yinsen glanced at the man before his eyes turned towards the leader and whispered, “He says no.”</p>
<p>Next thing she knew, they kicked the man hard enough that he fell to his knees, gasping for breath. Then they dragged him and Yinsen out, leaving her alone to process everything that she had learnt.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Dorea might not be smart like some, but she wasn’t foolish. She had known about the terrorist attacks for years now, but the one she and Draco had been sent to investigate were different. The people that had been killed in Istanbul were wizards. 29 wizards and witches out of 37 casualties… It was no coincidence. The weird part was that there was no trace of magic in the place. What she was dying to know was why did they kidnap her and Draco? It had to be someone from the wizarding community, given their ‘bracelets’. But the question remained, who and what did they want?</p>
<p>From what she had learnt until now, the man – Tony Stark, she had to remind herself, had to be an engineer or a scientist… a very famous one for these terrorists to kidnap him to build the missiles he had made for the army. She turned her head to look at Draco’s form and sighed, once again wishing she had her wand. Hoping for someone to find them, but the chances of their survival were getting slim.</p>
<p>She was startled out of her musing when the door opened with another loud bang and the men re-entered the room; Yinsen or Stark nowhere in sight. Guns pointed at her, two men grabbed her arms rather roughly and dragged her out. She tried to shrug out of their grip, despite knowing without magic, she’ll be useless, only for one of them to hit the back of her head with a gun. She couldn’t stop the gasp of pain and stumbled forward, but they held her tight, stopping her fall as they spoke to each other about God knows what!</p>
<p>When they reached the exit, her eyes fell on Stark. He was standing at the end of the corridor, car battery in hand, hair wet and dull eyes. For some unknown reason, she felt the urge to comfort him… to tell him that they’ll get out of here alive… that it would be okay, but she didn’t, for she knew that it could very well be a lie. So she stayed quiet, even when they shoved her to stand beside him and his eyes shot to hers, confused and terrified.</p>
<p>They pushed the two forward, making them almost stumble and she had to blink as the bright light suddenly hit her eye after days. The leader spoke something, but she didn’t pay him much attention as she squinted at all the weapons that filled the open area. Weapons which had ‘Stark’ printed on every one of them. Her mind whirled and she couldn’t help but glance at the said man, who himself was looking around perplexed.</p>
<p>Their leader gestured them to follow him and Dorea did with a huff… what choice did she have?</p>
<p>Yinsen was standing not a few feet away with another group of men, but as they moved closer, she froze in her tracks, startling them all with the abruptness. As Stark was right beside her, he too stopped and frowned at her. She was aware of their leader speaking something, Yinsen talking as well, but her eyes were only on the man standing a couple of feet away. Someone shoved her hard and she fell to the ground, blinking back the sudden pain which didn’t register… because the man who was staring back at her was none other than Sirius.</p>
<hr/>
<p>July 31<sup>st</sup>, 2020</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>AN: I do not own Harry Potter or the Marvel Universe. They belong to their respective authors and writers.</p>
<p>I would like to apologize for any mistakes in advance. Please do not copy this story.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Sirius?” she rasped; eyes wide as she stared open-mouthed.</p>
<p>His eyes tightened behind the glasses as he walked towards her. At least 15 men followed him, while everyone around them froze, but she paid them no heed. Not when Sirius was standing right in front of her. And then, she rushed towards him, closing the small distance between them, ignoring the sharp pain in her leg. But she should’ve known something was wrong because she was stopped before she could reach him. Her eyes stayed on him as she was manhandled, trying to shrug off the man’s grip who was holding her tight with his hand on her throat. She should’ve realized that her Sirius wouldn’t allow anyone to hurt her, but she was blinded by her emotions. Logically, Dorea knew Sirius was dead and it had been more than 12 years now, but the logical part wasn’t working right now. She reached inside her, trying to summon the energy she felt that wanted to burst out, but another wave of shock jostled her body and she almost fell on her knees.</p>
<p>He walked towards and stopped right in front of her, looking thoroughly amused and said, “Your power… the magic, it’s the sole reason behind your fame and success, isn’t it?”</p>
<p>Dorea frowned, blinking through the pain and struggled against the hand that was holding her, feeling out of sorts and lost like she hadn’t in years.</p>
<p>“How does it feel to be powerless… vulnerable? To be at the mercy of others?” He asked with a shark-like grin.</p>
<p>“Sirius?” she whispered tentatively, already berating herself for being foolish. Now that she noticed, the man standing in front of her looked younger somehow. Sure, he had grey hair, but what threw her off the most were his eyes. Sirius’s eyes had been grey, but this man had blue eyes which held madness which she couldn’t remember seeing before. His hair was straight and shorter, not curly like Sirius’s had been, and like this, he looked exactly like a muggle.</p>
<p>“You’re not Sirius.” She realized with growing dread. “…but, how?”</p>
<p>Suddenly, he crackled like a mad man, distinctively reminding her of Bellatrix and she flinched.</p>
<p>“You’re so eager to know me, aren’t you?” He asked excitedly, eyes shining with mirth. “My name is Phineas and I used to be a Black.”</p>
<p>Her mouth fell open and she just gaped, unable to speak.</p>
<p>“Eldest son of Orion and Walburga Black. The true heir to the house Black.” He told her with a mix of pride and disgust, two emotions she had no idea could be portrayed together.</p>
<p>Sudden anger bubbled inside her and she snapped, “Sirius was the eldest son of Orion and Walburga Black! You’re just an imposter!”</p>
<p>His smile fell, eyes filled with something akin to rage, while the hand on her throat tightened, almost choking her. She coughed, gasping when the ‘imposter’ waved a hand at the man holding her and the grip on her throat loosened.</p>
<p>Green eyes met blue and for once he seemed sombre as he spoke disdainfully, “I was born to Orion and Walburga Black in 1954. 6 years before Sirius. They found out that I was a squib when I was 9 and threw me out, erased me from the family history and made Sirius the heir.”</p>
<p>Dorea’s mind whirled at the implication of his words. Even if what he said was the truth, why did he kidnap her now? Where had he been all this time? She had nothing to do with him, neither did Malfoy. Now that all the Blacks were gone, why couldn’t he go back to claim what was his? He certainly looked like Sirius would’ve if he hadn’t been locked in Azkaban for years.</p>
<p>She eyed him through narrow eyes and asked carefully, “Why are we here?”</p>
<p>Instead of answering her, he said, “As you’ve already met the genius here, Tony Stark, the mind behind all this…” then motioned towards the stacks of guns and bombs covered by tarps and tents, and at the men milling around. “I want you to help him.”</p>
<p>“Help him?” she asked, puzzled.</p>
<p>He nodded to the leader, who apparently, wasn’t the leader and said something in… Arabic? Somewhere in the back of her mind, she realized that she had heard the name ‘Stark’ before, right now though, for the love of Merlin, she couldn’t remember where.</p>
<p>“He wants to know what you think,” Yinsen spoke to Stark, gesturing around.</p>
<p>Stark, who had been looking between her and Phineas until now, turned towards the ‘not-leader’ and replied, “I think you got a lot of my weapons.”</p>
<p>Yinsen translated, “He says they have everything you need here to make the Jericho missile. They want you to make a list of materials and start working immediately.”</p>
<p>Dorea shook her head, still confused. If they wanted Stark to make a missile which he had made before, why was she here? She looked straight at Phineas, ignoring others and asked impatiently, “Why are <strong>we</strong> here?”</p>
<p>Phineas understood she was talking about her and Malfoy and replied simply, “I want to end the pureblood supremacy. They think they have all the power and that power gives them the right to rule others. They think we’re inferiors because we’re born without magic. I want to show them that the foundation which is set in stone can crumble and crash.”</p>
<p>Alarm bells rang in her head, but still, she questioned, “And how do you plan on doing that?”</p>
<p>“That doesn’t concern you, at least not yet.” He waved her off before adding, “For now, I want you to help him in building this.”</p>
<p>She looked at him warily before reaching for the paper. She opened it and read the instruction manual. By the time she was done, she was utterly horrified and asked, “This… where did you get this form?”</p>
<p>“Well, the Department of Mysteries… it isn’t as forbidden as they make it seem.” He shrugged.</p>
<p>“You want to end it all.” She concluded, staring at him incredulously. “You want to overpower them all. Completely dominate the wizarding world.”</p>
<p>“Oh, don’t be melodramatic, Dorea.” Then he said gasped and asked innocently, “Can I call you Dorea? Of course, I can. I just want to prove that the ones without magic aren’t useless as they seem. They can be just as powerful… dangerous if they want.”</p>
<p>Dorea gaped, unable to reply, so he added for her benefit, “And when you are done, we'll set you free.”</p>
<p>She would’ve punched him if she could’ve, so she glared at him and stated firmly, “I won’t help you in your plan to take revenge. It’s ridiculous!”</p>
<p>His smile fell, his eyes turned cold and before she knew it, he slapped her so hard that she nearly saw stars and would’ve fallen if the man behind her hadn’t been holding her. Then he fisted her hair and pulled her head back, making her look at him as she gasped in pain, while the man holding her released his hold on her. His other hand went to her lower back and he pulled her closer, ignoring her futile attempt to push him away. He lowered his head, lips ghosting over her ear and he whispered, “You know, my men hadn’t had fun for some time now. As a head Auror, you might have some inkling on how these things work, don’t you or do you want to find out the hard way?”</p>
<p>The words were spoken softly, like a lover’s caress and she recoiled. And then he said something which turned her blood to ice. “You don’t want something to happen to heir Malfoy, do you? Poor fella can’t even defend himself.”</p>
<p>With that, he pulled back and smiled as if he hadn’t threatened her seconds ago. She clenched her hands into fists, so she wouldn’t get her or Draco killed, closed her eyes and murmured, “Even if I do it, how do you suppose I help in building something which contains so much energy? I cannot… not without removing the bracelet.”</p>
<p>He looked at her like she was a particularly dense child and said, “I know what you can do with your magic, even without your wand. You can say it’s just… extra protection. You’ve been an Auror for what… 10 years now? You’ll think of something.”</p>
<p>She glared at him through gritted teeth, but kept her mouth shut, ignoring everyone around.</p>
<p>“Trust me. Once this is all over, I will set you free. We are related, after all.” He grinned like a Cheshire cat before pointing towards Stark and added, “Meanwhile, you can also help him in staying alive.”</p>
<p>At this, both Dorea and Tony stared at him, knowing he was lying right through his teeth. There was a shrewdness in his eyes, the same madness that reminded her of the screeching portrait of Walburga; a maniacal edge in his tone that reminded her of Bellatrix and she shuddered.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Back in the cave, she slumped on her bed, watching as the man stumbled over to his cot and sat down with a painful grunt. He dropped his head in his hands and started taking deep lungful of breaths, probably trying to calm himself down.</p>
<p>Dorea wasn’t sure why she wasn’t panicking. The man… Sirius’s brother was planning world domination and she and Draco were here not only to ‘help’ but as their guinea pigs. If he was truly a Black, then his madness was self-explanatory, even if he was a squib. She checked on Draco before moving mechanically towards the canned food that was stacked on the floor. She opened a can of beans, turned the burner on and poured the beans into the old pot. There was some bread, though not as fresh any longer, but it would have to do. There was no sound other than the crackling of the fire as she cooked the beans and rice. Once done, she poured half the amount in an old battered clay pot with some bread and put it on a small wooden table in front of Stark’s cot.</p>
<p>He must be deep in thought because her movement startled him as he looked ready to jump out of his skin. He looked at her before staring down at the food but didn’t acknowledge her. With a huff, she poured the other half for herself and curled up in her bed. They ate in silence and she was fine until a couple of hours later when she saw that his bowl of food was still untouched and he was staring at nothing. His eyes were glassy, hollow and he looked ready to crumble any moment.</p>
<p>“I’m sure they’re looking for you.” She tried to comfort, not knowing what else to do. Because surely a man this famous wouldn’t be left unnoticed, especially since he was an expert in building weapons.</p>
<p>He didn’t react for a long time and she was almost asleep when he spoke monotonously, “But they aren’t going to find me here.”</p>
<p>Dorea didn’t know what to say to that because he wasn’t wrong. They were in the middle of nowhere. This place was the base of these terrorists and she wasn’t sure if anyone even knew about it. So, she stayed quiet. After all, she had been here for longer and even Hermione or Ron had failed to track her down until now.</p>
<p>He looked at her before whispering again, “They won’t let us leave, will they?”</p>
<p>Dorea gave him a humourless smile which didn’t reach her eyes. They both knew they were trapped here… doomed and she wasn’t gonna lie. Not now. So, she nodded her head in agreement, “No, they won’t.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span class="u">
    <strong>Phineas Black</strong>
  </span>
</p>
<p>August 6<sup>th</sup>, 2020</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>EN: Was done with the edit, so I posted this early. Sorry to disappoint people who were expecting Sirius. (Just to clarify, Sirius did not have an older brother. I created Phineas Black, son of Orion and Walburga Black for this story alone.)</p>
<p>Positive Criticism is always appreciated unless it is rude or insulting. Have a nice day everyone.</p>
<p>Next update - August 12th</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>AN: I do not own Harry Potter or the Marvel Universe. They belong to their respective authors and writers.</p>
<p>I would like to apologize for any mistakes in advance. Please do not copy this story.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They were both wide awake, lying on their cots, staring at the ceiling of the cave. Dorea felt tired. How could someone be tired when they sat all day and did practically nothing? It had been days since she saw Phineas and she still didn’t know what to do! Despite shaking hands with the ‘leader’ the other day, Stark had categorically refused to work for these terrorists. Since then, it had been a routine – they came every morning, asked him the same question and when he refused, dragged him out to torture him. As days passed, the haunted look in his eyes grew and it was clear that he had lost all hope. They didn’t speak. Her routine consisted of cooking, checking on Draco and falling back to sleep. Dorea didn’t know what to do because, for the first time, she was really scared… scared for Draco and scared for herself. When she had voluntarily walked into the forest all those years ago, she hadn’t been afraid. She was alone and had no one, but now… someone was depending on her and she didn’t want to die.</p>
<p>True to word, Yinsen had been here to check on Draco twice now. He seemed satisfied and had told her that <em>‘Draco’s injuries were healing nicely and he was out of imminent danger.’</em> She was thankful that the man had given her information which she couldn’t have gotten otherwise – about the Ten Rings or that they used weapons made by Stark Industries to terrorize the world. And that explained loads, like why Stark himself was here. If Phineas, really was a Black, then he wouldn’t do things in half. He would want the best for his plans and from what Yinsen had told her, Stark was the best.</p>
<p>She wanted to ask him so many things, but the man hadn’t spoken since their last talk and she didn’t want to intrude. He’d been dealing with God knows what daily, while she was locked in here. He seemed sad and worn-out, so she had left him at that, not wanting to disturb the little peace that they had. Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t realize that he must be starving until she heard his stomach rumble, though he didn’t pay attention. So, she gave him an extra portion of food. It wasn’t as if they would stop providing them food, even if it was some canned shit… not if they wanted their machinery. This time, he gave a nod of thanks, surprising her and ate like a starving man, which possibly he was. She left him alone despite her burning questions. After all, they had all the time in the world.</p>
<p>It was always dark here, but right now the only source of light was the fire and a couple of bulbs. It was also turning cold and she realised that it might be late in the night when she heard the man shuffling and turned her head to see that he was staring at her. She too sat up, feeling at disadvantage and more than uncomfortable lying down, especially when Malfoy was right there and couldn’t defend himself, just in case.</p>
<p>It looked like he was contemplating something and she wasn’t wrong. His eyes landed on her, glaring at her as if it was her fault that he was locked here before asking snappishly, “Do you know these people? That guy the other day… do you know him? Are you related? Then why did he lock the two of you in here? Is this some kind of a game?”</p>
<p>Dorea flinched, feeling betrayed for some odd reason, which was ridiculous. She didn’t even know the guy and to her horror, she felt her eyes stinging. She had been locked here for more than three weeks now, with no sign of knowing if they’ll get out of here or about Malfoy’s condition. That had been the first day they had taken her out of this dark cave, only to come across Sirius’s evil older brother who looked exactly like her godfather. She might regret later, but right now the only thing she felt was anger and she shouted, “Does it look like I know him or these people? Did you not hear him threatening to pass me as a toy to his men or killing Malfoy? Or do you need a demonstration?”</p>
<p>He blinked at her, looking flummoxed before raising his hands in surrender. She huffed and turned away from him. It might be childish, but she didn’t want to talk to him anymore.</p>
<p>“Hey.” He spoke after sometime, but this time his voice was soft. “I’m sorry. I’ve had a couple of rough days, shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”</p>
<p>Dorea snorted despite herself. Yeah… ‘rough days’ was an understatement. She peaked at him and couldn’t help but nod. How could she not with his mouth twisted in a sad smile, eyes earnest, looking like a kicked puppy?</p>
<p>He stood suddenly, the battery in hand and walked over to her cot. She stiffened, eyes on him, wanting nothing more than to take Draco and vanish from here, but she couldn’t. He stopped near the foot of her bed and held his hand out, “Let’s start anew, shall we? Tony Stark.”</p>
<p>Dorea looked at him and swallowed hard. Introducing herself… what harm could it do? Not in the situation she was in. So, she shook his hand and introduced herself, “Dorea Potter.”</p>
<p>He smiled awkwardly, shuffling around before going back to his cot and settled the battery down.</p>
<p>She didn’t know why she spoke, maybe it had been days since she had a civil conversation with someone or maybe just to keep her mind calm or maybe to find out how this one muggle can create the machine without magic. So, she said, “Uh… Mr Stark?”</p>
<p>He looked at her and spoke quietly, “Its Tony.”</p>
<p>She gave him a nod and asked the most burning question, “Tony, are you an engineer?”</p>
<p>His eyes widened and he gaped at her like she had grown another head before asking incredulously, “You don’t know who I am?!”</p>
<p>She winced. So, he was famous… to the extent that he was shocked to find out that he would probably have an aneurysm when he’ll find out that there were whole societies out there who don’t know him. Also, she couldn’t help but wonder how he and Draco would react to each other. They seem to be cut from the same piece of cloth.</p>
<p>“I’m afraid not. I’ve heard the name ‘Stark’ before, but I have no idea what is it that you do.” She told him.</p>
<p>He didn’t say a word, just gawked at her for a long – long time before blinking out of whatever daze he was in and mumbled curiously, “I, Tony Stark, son of Howard Stark? Is it because you live on the other side of the pond? That can’t be it. You said you work for the government? How can you not know who I am?”</p>
<p>She shrugged uncomfortably as he stared at her like she was some sort of a puzzle. She didn’t know what to tell him… or how?</p>
<p>“Huh.” He mumbled something to himself, too low for her to hear before asking, “Where do you live?”</p>
<p>She bit her lower lip, eyes filtered towards the fire, unsure and wary how much to tell him. At last, she decided to tell him the truth and replied, “London.”</p>
<p>“How did you end up here?” he asked again.</p>
<p>“We were sent to investigate the recent terrorist attacks in Istanbul. I think they drugged us and I woke up here.” She told him with a sigh. Why lie when he’ll be finding out about everything soon enough. If he was as smart and clever as these people claimed, then it wouldn’t take him much time to understand what they were working on.</p>
<p>“How long has it been?” He asked softly.</p>
<p>Her eyes went to the door and lingered there longingly as if it would somehow open and let them out before mumbling quietly, “I don’t exactly know, but I’m sure it has been almost 25 days.”</p>
<p>He didn’t speak, just stared at her for a long time before closing his eyes and sighing tiredly. When he opened them again, he seemed calm, but if the naked fear in his eyes was anything to go by, Dorea could tell he wasn’t as calm as he was trying to portray.</p>
<p>“Do you have a family?” he asked.</p>
<p>She looked at him before nodding her head in <em>yes</em>.</p>
<p>He motioned towards Draco and asked tentatively, “Your… partner?”</p>
<p>Dorea couldn’t help the un-ladylike snort that escaped her, because her and Draco together? That would be ‘the day’ the world would come to an end. At Tony’s arched eyebrow she answered, “We’ve known each other ever since we were 11 and have been working together for almost 7 years now, but that’s it.”</p>
<p>He looked at her sceptically, but decided to leave it at that and asked instead, “And you work for the British government?”</p>
<p>She took a moment before replying hesitantly, “You could say that… yeah.”</p>
<p>His brown eyes stared right at her and he pointed towards her bracelet. “What are those? Both of you have them.”</p>
<p>“It’s something to keep us on a leash.” She stated darkly.</p>
<p>“What is this?” It took her a moment to register that he was holding a piece of paper. ‘The paper’ which held the design and information about the machine Phineas wanted to use on ‘purebloods’. He must’ve taken it while she was asleep or distracted. He was the one who had to build it, so she didn’t see anything wrong with him taking it. She stared at it before meeting those brown eyes and said, “It is something which will be the end of my people.”</p>
<p>He leaned forward, a strange expression crossed his face which reminded her of times when either Hermione or Draco were about to solve some mystery. “Your people?”</p>
<p>“Yes.” She didn’t elaborate, leaving it for later. If she didn’t have to, she wasn’t going to explain the intricates of what the machine did. It was too big-a-risk, she wasn’t willing to take. So, before he could ask any more questions, she asked him one. “Why were you here?”</p>
<p>"Weapons demonstration," he said before clenching his jaw. “I had no idea they had my weapons.”</p>
<p>“They used your weapons to kill all those people.” She whispered, more to herself than him, but he heard her. She could tell by the way he glared at the door before shaking his head and closed his eyes with a loud exhale.</p>
<p>Dorea wasn’t sure what to make of him. He seemed to be telling the truth, but right now, there was another burning matter at hand. The important thing was their current situation. She cleared her throat and asked, “Are you going to build it? The missile?”</p>
<p>He didn’t look at her and stared into the fire, seemingly lost in thoughts. “No, and why should I? They’re going to kill me, you, us… either way. And even if they didn’t, I’ll be dead in another week.”</p>
<p>“Well, if you die, they’ll kill us all, Mr Stark.” She looked at him beseechingly.</p>
<p>For a moment he looked at her confused until she added, “Once they were sure they’ll get you, they attracted us by killing the wi… those people. They knew the ministry will send me and Draco. He knew that Draco will be perfect for runes and me… They had it all planned. It’s gonna be an important week, isn’t it?”</p>
<p>He stared at her like it hadn’t crossed his mind, not missing her slip of the tongue and opened his mouth to ask something when a groan from the corner of the cave caught them off guard.</p>
<p>Eyes wide, Dorea flew from her bed to Draco’s side. For the first time in days, he was moving slightly, possibly from pain and discomfort. She prayed and it was answered as his grey eyes opened and he squinted at her.</p>
<p>“Draco.” She whispered, relieved. A hand on his forehead, while the other was on his chest, trying to comfort him.</p>
<p>“Pot’r. ‘Wha ‘ave ‘u gotn’ us into ths’ time?” He croaked out.</p>
<p>His words were slurred, but he was alive, so she did the only thing she hadn’t in days.</p>
<p>She burst into tears.</p>
<hr/>
<p>August 12<sup>th</sup>, 2020</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>EN: Hope you’re liking it. Positive Criticism is always appreciated unless it is rude or insulting. Have a nice day everyone.</p>
<p>Next update: August 19th 2020</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>AN: I do not own Harry Potter or the Marvel Universe. They belong to their respective authors and writers.</p>
<p>I would like to apologize for any mistakes in advance. Please do not copy this story.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“It’s repulsive!” he voiced petulantly.</p>
<p>“It’s the only thing we have! Get off your high horse, Malfoy or I’m gonna kill you myself.”</p>
<p>The blonde glared at her but opened his mouth when she tried to feed him. He hadn’t realised where he was at the time but had realised that something was wrong as soon as he woke up. It had been 2 days and she had finally told him about her encounter with Phineas Black and the machine he wanted them to work on. He almost had a panic attack when he saw where he was and that his magic wasn’t working, but she had somehow managed to calm him down. They had been through so much in school and being Auror partners for about 7 years was enough to build the trust that they had now. He was weak, very weak, unable to move much and the bracelet binding his magic wasn’t doing any favour either. She had given him some water and now was feeding him beans that had been mashed and were mostly watered-down. After weeks of his ‘sleep’, she didn’t think giving him proper food would be alright and she didn’t have anything else.</p>
<p>Tony was staring at the two of them, possibly bursting with questions, but now that Malfoy was awake, he would have to wait.</p>
<p>Once done, she gave him the pain medication the good doctor had left two days back. Malfoy was reluctant at first and scared out of his mind, but she was just glad that he trusted her enough and didn’t throw a tantrum. Within minutes he was out like a light.</p>
<p>With a heavy sigh, she turned to Tony and was startled to see that he was pouring vegetables into two pots. It was the first time she had seen him doing something other than looking like death warmed over. She was curious but didn’t say anything when he carried the food over to the cot and after some thought, sat on the foot of her bed. Dorea took a breath, pushed herself up, heading over and sat on the head of the same cot. She took the bowl he was holding out and whispered, “Thank you, Mr Stark.”</p>
<p>“Tony.” He corrected.</p>
<p>She gave him a small smile and they finished their food in silence until he broke it with a single sentence. “I’m not going to make their missile.”</p>
<p>Dorea blinked, surprised and unsure what to say when he tapped the electromagnet in his chest with a finger and said, “First, I need to get rid of this.”</p>
<p>She stared puzzled, waiting for him to explain and once he was done, she was left in awe of his plan. Even if it didn’t work, for now, his plan was their only saving grace.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Men swarmed around as Tony listed things he would need. They had set up two work stations on the opposite sides – one for the missile and one for the machine. She still hadn’t explained to him what the machine did, but so far, the man had been patient and hadn’t asked her about it again. But she knew, she would have to tell him soon… about everything. The machine needed extreme energy and runes a muggle wouldn’t know about, but she guessed that’s why she and Draco were here. Tony said he won’t be working on the missile or the machine, but she couldn’t take the risk. Phineas didn’t seem like someone who could be fooled and leaving Tony out of the loop would be playing with his life. Dorea knew this part of the world wasn’t governed by the ministry, seeing as there were close to none witches or wizards that were willing to stay here, which was why Phineas must’ve chosen this place to lock them up. She was going on a hunch, but she was decided about telling Tony about their world, Statute of Secrecy, be damned! She purposely avoided thinking about what would happen in case it all went downhill. She would cross the bridge when she comes to it.</p>
<p>She eyed the bracelet on her wrist disdainfully. Not only was it restricting their powers, but it was weakening them. If worn for a long time, it would make their magic unstable and then there would be no one left around to work on these machines. And maybe that’s what the plan was… magic was a form of energy and with correct runes, it could work for the machine Phineas wanted. The only downside would be that they’ll all be dead. Or at least she and Draco would be.</p>
<hr/>
<p>When the terrorists left after what seemed like hours and the three of them were finally alone, she sat Tony down, only to pace along the length of the cave. On his cot, Malfoy huffed and she threw him a dirty look. He was against telling a muggle about the wizarding world, but right now, what other choice did they have? If the man was a genius and figured out how to work the machine, they would be all doomed. Sure, he wasn’t making the missile, but they needed to tell him about the machine which needed runes and magic for pretence, in case Phineas came to check; and for that Tony needed to be in the loop. They weren’t going to tell him much, just that there was a small society which consisted of witches and wizards and after his reaction, they’ll decide on which course to follow.</p>
<p>“Get on with it, Potter! You’re giving me a headache!” Malfoy snapped.</p>
<p>“Shut up, you bloody ferret!” She snapped back, earning a sigh from the man, but thankfully he didn’t say anything.</p>
<p>“We’ve been sworn to secrecy not to tell anyone… but now all bets are off, yeah?” She mumbled before finally taking a seat in front of Tony, cleared her throat and said, “I need you to keep an open mind, alright.”</p>
<p>He frowned, but nodded and motioned for her to continue.</p>
<p>Taking in a deep breath, she whispered slowly, “I’m a witch.”</p>
<p>Tony’s frown deepened and his mouth tilted down. Giving her an unimpressed gaze, he asked sharply, “Is this a joke? Am I on TV?”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, but it’s true. Malfoy is a wizard and I’m a witch.” She told him, making sure to look into his eyes so he could see how serious she was. “We tend to live in secret so muggles… non-magical people do not feel threatened by our existence as is a basic instinct of a human to get threatened by what is different from what they perceive normal. I’m sure you’ve heard stories about witches being burned alive in Medieval ages? It’s true. After that wizards decided to operate in self-imposed secrecy.”</p>
<p>She shared a glance with Malfoy, who shrugged when Tony didn’t speak and continued, “This bracelet is restricting our magic… preventing it from working so I can’t prove it, but it’s true.”</p>
<p>He glanced between the two, running his fingers through his hair before rambling in a strained voice, “Is it a codeword? Are you working for some secret organisation? Is it a cult? This Phineas… what kind of name is that anyway? By the way, sounds like a cartoon character! He too said something about magic. Is that how you know each other? You belong to a cult?”</p>
<p>“No. We’re not working for some secret organisation and there’s no cult.” Dorea shook her head before adding, “Uh… he looks like my godfather who died a few years back. I thought it was him. Turns out, he’s Sirius’s brother no one knew existed.”</p>
<p>“So, he can do magic? Then why does he need me?” Tony asked with an arched eyebrow, clearly humouring her.</p>
<p>“He’s a Squib, a non-magical person born to at least one magical parent. They are rare and are looked upon with disdain by some witches and wizards, particularly pure-bloods. Phineas was born into a pure-blood family. Purebloods tend to abandon squibs and pretend that they never existed.” She told him, trying to ignore Malfoy’s huff.</p>
<p>Tony looked at her like she was mental, but couldn’t help his curiosity. “Pureblood…?”</p>
<p>“Wizarding families who claim to have no Muggles or Muggle-born in their family tree, which is bollocks because when traced back far enough, nearly every family tree had some non-magical ancestors.” She informed him, ignoring Malfoy who was now outright glaring at her.</p>
<p>“Just because you don’t understand doesn’t mean it isn’t true, Potter!” Malfoy snapped in a whisper, but there was no heat behind it.</p>
<p>Dorea rolled her eyes, but instead of participating in another banter, focused on the man in front of her, who looked tense and ready to snap any second now.</p>
<p>“You don’t believe me.” She nodded to herself before adding, “Of course. We can’t prove it right now. Not with the bracelets on.”</p>
<p>There were so many emotions on his face… way too many for her to decipher, but anger was the most potent.</p>
<p>Suddenly, Tony stood up, waving his hands animatedly and hissed, “Do you wear black pointy hats, have magic wands and green ugly faces? Do you own a black cat as well? What about rituals? Do you sacrifice children to Satan for power too? Well, you can stop me right here before it makes you look even crazier…”</p>
<p>He wasn’t even finished when Draco spoke horrified, “Green ugly faces?! I do not have an ugly face! Now, trolls are ugly, but even they aren’t green… maybe some are, but semantics!”</p>
<p>Dorea looked at him disbelievingly, unable to believe that he was still prioritising his looks over the situation they were in and busted-out, “That’s what you focus on?!”</p>
<p>Tony, meanwhile, paced the length of the cave, running his hands through his hair and rambled, “Wow! Okay… so you’re both delusional! I can understand. It can happen after being kidnapped and locked in a cave for such a long time. How long have you been here for? Clearly far too long! We need to get out of here and I’ll have to do all the work because well… you two obviously think that you can escape on a broom or vanish with a poof as it happens in those silly movies…”</p>
<p>Dorea and Draco shared a look before he opened his mouth and corrected eloquently, “We could’ve used the broomstick, but we obviously can’t and it isn’t <em>‘</em><em>vanish with a poof’</em>. It’s called appariting.”</p>
<p>Dorea resisted the urge to bang her head somewhere when Tony came to an abrupt halt and openly gawked at the two of them. His eyes clearly stated what he thought about their revelation and that he was locked with people who were nothing but cuckoo. With a huff, she marched to his cot and picked the paper which held the intricates of making the machine and showed it to him.</p>
<p>“Here, look at this.” She pointed at the alphabetical letters printed in Latin and explained, “I’m not sure if you’re aware, but these are called runes… inscriptions to increase higher magical power – you can do almost everything if you know how they work, like predicting the future, protecting a person against misfortune, imbue objects with different qualities, writing down conjurations, curses, and spells… or you can destroy whatever is it that you wish.”</p>
<p>She wasn’t intelligent like Hermione, but she tried to simplify and explain as best as she could. “Magic is all about will. Think of it as your energy; about channelling your energy through that will. You use equations in science, yeah? These are the equations to increase energy. Witches and wizards are born with a magical core. See the inscriptions on this bracelet? These bind the magic, make it impossible for us to use the energy. These can be harmful if worn for a longer period. They could eventually drain the magical core. These runes here… the one Phineas wants us to work on? They’re extremely powerful, enough to drain the magical energy of a whole community at a time. This kind of energy blast would be enough to deplete the energy from every witch and wizard in England.”</p>
<p>Tony waved his hand wildly and breathes out, “See, you seem like a perfectly average individual to me… which is why I don’t understand what you’re trying to do here. Are you one of those who are genetically mutated? Wait… I got it! I’ve heard about Xavier’s school for the gifted… didn’t get a chance to meet the lovely man himself, but are you one of those? Do they have a branch in London?”</p>
<p>“Genetically mutated?” Draco spluttered with disgust before snapping, “This is why we’ve kept it a secret for centuries now! Muggles! They can’t except what they don’t understand.”</p>
<p>“Tony, we’re not lying! We aren’t mental or delusional! Do you remember the terrorist attacks all over Europe about 10 years ago? It was because of a war in the wizarding world! How could you possibly think we could lie about something like this? Even the Queen of Engl…” Dorea tried, only to be stopped by him.</p>
<p>“STOP!!” He almost shouted. “Stop.”</p>
<p>Dorea snapped her mouth shut at the sudden outburst, for the first time noticing how vulnerable the man seemed. He looked pale and was shaking, making her realize that the man had a heart condition. Maybe telling him hadn’t been a good idea, but how else was she supposed to explain about the machine, how it worked and how much damage could it do? In case Phineas decided to visit, Tony certainly wouldn’t be able to explain what exactly was he working on, making him suspicious and Black wouldn’t think twice before murdering or worse, torturing them.</p>
<p>She didn’t look at Draco, not wanting to see the <em>‘I told you so’</em> written on his face. Rubbing her temples tiredly, she stood up and went to her cot before slumping on it.</p>
<p>It was a long time before she spoke again, “It doesn’t matter whether you believe us or not. It won’t change the fact that thousands, maybe more will die if we didn’t stop <strong>him</strong>. We can’t let another madman play God.”</p>
<p>“I still don’t understand how is it always you, Potter,” Draco muttered, resigned to the fact that he’ll be going down with her.</p>
<p>Dorea knew it wasn’t said with malice and couldn’t help but agree.</p>
<p>Tony frowned but didn’t speak.</p>
<p>Lost in their thoughts, the three didn’t speak the rest of the day.</p>
<hr/>
<p>August 19<sup>th</sup>, 2020</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>EN: Positive Criticism is always appreciated unless it is rude or insulting. Have a nice day everyone.</p>
<p>Next update: August 26th 2020</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>AN: I do not own Harry Potter or the Marvel Universe. They belong to their respective authors and writers.</p>
<p>I would like to apologize for any mistakes in advance. Please do not copy this story.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>Dorea didn’t know how long had it been since the terrorists delivered the material to build the two machines, but Tony had been working tirelessly ever since. And boy, did the man liked to talk… one-sided conversation where he didn’t realize or care if anyone was listening or not. He had told them that he was working on something called an ‘arc reactor’ which would supply energy to an electromagnet, preventing embedded shrapnel from reaching his heart. It was something which would help him in staying alive… and that’s where her knowledge ended.</p>
<p>Surprisingly, Draco was in awe of the man. Not only he understood about the technology Tony explained from time to time, but it had become a routine for her to see the two of them working together. She had known Draco was smart, he had been the second to top the N.E.W.T.s after Hermione after all, but how easily he grasped the facts made her envious of his intelligence. Despite the situation they were in, the two men were not only determined to get out of here alive but were giving all they had, to built the machine and Dorea had never felt more useless.</p>
<p>Not for the first time, her thoughts went back to her little boy and how heartbroken he would be if she died. Dorea did not doubt that Ron and Hermione would take care of him like their own, but she was his mum! She wanted to be there when he would turn 11 and receive his letter or be with him at the train station when he went to Hogwarts. She didn’t wanna miss seeing the excited gleam in his eyes when he would be selected in the Quidditch team or any of his achievements. Just thinking about it was enough to send a wave of pain through her and she wanted nothing more than to blast these doors that were keeping her locked and kill the people who were keeping her away from her baby boy.</p>
<p>And that made her realise the extent of the importance of magic in her life. She obviously knew everyone she loved, because she was who she was… because of magic and despite hating it for making her lose her family, she knew it had also given her every happy memory that she had. She wouldn’t have her friends, her extended family and her little boy if it hadn’t been for magic in her life. Everyone in the wizarding world knew that her magic was different than anyone else, the only reason they ‘respected’ her or were scared of her. She had never really given it much thought though. She had accepted what it was – maybe because her focus had never been on herself, but here, she couldn’t help but question why? Why did they still treat her like a celebrity? Why was she important? She had never been brainy or intellectual like Hermione or the two men working in front of her, but she had always prided herself in the knowledge that she was powerful… more powerful than any of the people she knew.</p>
<p>They had put her in line with Merlin, for heaven’s sake!</p>
<p>But did she really deserve it all when she couldn’t even get out of here? When she could be so easily subdued? When she couldn’t help the two men working day and night in any way? Sure, she cooked their meals which were shitty at best and served as an extra hand whenever they needed, but that was about it. She hadn’t realised it before but seeing Phineas affected her more than it should’ve. She had tried to use her magic, summon the energy to break the bracelet on her hand, but to her disappointment, it didn’t work. As the days passed, her hopelessness increased and any chances of seeing Teddy lessened every day.</p>
<p>She tried to keep herself busy, but really, how could she? There was nothing to do! So, she quietly observed their work… mostly Tony’s work. After days or possibly weeks, she finally saw with her own eyes why these men took Tony Stark. He was unquestionably, one of the smartest men on the planet. Which was why both she and Draco were bewildered when the man in question didn’t ask them anything about their revelation. In fact, he had been behaving as if they hadn’t had the particular conversation about witches, wizards and a whole new world.</p>
<p>None of them understood how a man such as Stark could wave off their whole exchange, but chalked it up to the fact that maybe, he still thought of them as mental. With nothing to do, they too had dropped the issue for now, especially since the man was working on something entirely different.</p>
<p>Dorea looked at the sketch designed on a piece of paper with a frown. Tony had drawn it himself. It looked like the missile, but the second paper, which seemed like half of the first one, made it look like something else.</p>
<p>He had explained animatedly that he was building a metal armour, but she still couldn’t help but ask, “How will it work?”</p>
<p>After days without speaking much, her voice came out hoarse and it startled the two men so much that Tony dropped the hammer on the floor and stared at her wide-eyed. The bright blue circle in his chest shone brightly, once again reminding her that despite being on death’s door, he hadn’t given up. They weren’t sure how long this arc reactor would be able to keep him alive, but Tony was positive that he would be back home by the time he would need to worry about it.</p>
<p>Both men were covered in sweat and grease, but it was Tony who blinked a couple of times as if coming out of a trance, while Draco dropped his hammer and slumped on the nearest cot tiredly.</p>
<p>Without the clank, clank of metal that had filled the cave, there was nothing but silence and she wasn’t sure if she liked it or not.</p>
<p>“What?” asked Tony.</p>
<p>“Uh… this metal suit? How will it work?” She asked slowly, uncertainly, unsure how he will react. He was a genius after all and she didn’t want him to think that she was undervaluing him.</p>
<p>He glanced from her to the sketches in her hand before nodding. “It’s a suit. A bulletproof suit. More like a weapon. Even though I’ve been building weapons for years now, but this is unlike anything I’ve built and it will be powered by the arc reactor.” He tapped the reactor on his chest for emphasis.</p>
<p>She bit her lip before asking, “A weapon. So… it will be able to fire or blast anything you would want?”</p>
<p>Tony almost smiled before replying, “It will have a repulsor beam that will repeal the opponents away and we’ll be able to leave.”</p>
<p>There was so much enthusiasm and confidence in the way he said the words, that it made her smile involuntarily.</p>
<p>“Now that your curiosity is satisfied, Potter, can we go back to work?” Draco asked, making her glower at him.</p>
<p>“No one stopped you in the first place, Malfoy! Don’t blame your lazy tendencies on me!” She snapped back.</p>
<p>“Lazy tendencies?!” He spluttered. “Let me tell you that we’re slaving all day while you sit on your ass all day, Potter!”</p>
<p>Dorea gritted her teeth, but instead of replying verbally, she picked the first thing she got her hands on, which turned out to be Tony’s clay pot of food and threw it at him.</p>
<p>There was a high-pitched yelp as Draco jumped to the side and landed on his ass. Both men stared at her wide-eyed until Draco opened his mouth and screeched melodramatically, “I’ve always known you wanted to kill me, Potter, and now you have the perfect opportunity! There’s no one to stop you anymore! No one realizes how barmy you are!”</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>
    <span class="u">Tony’s Pov</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Tony watched the exchange utterly bemused. They had been locked here for what? Months now? Or was it years? He certainly had lost all sense of time! At least these terrorists should provide him with a watch! Maybe that’s what he would ask for the next time they sent Yinsen for the list.</p>
<p>Anyway, back to the topic at hand, it had been months and he still couldn’t understand how these two worked together! It seemed like they couldn’t go an hour without bickering. They said they were partners, no less in the British government – working together for 7 years and had known each other since they were kids, but how were they paired together if they wanted to kill each other every time they looked at the other? And how did they get their work done? He hadn’t even realised he had said it out loud until two heads snapped towards him.</p>
<p>The two exchanged a look silently, again making him confused because how did that work exactly? Either you liked someone or you don’t? Wasn’t this how the world worked? One moment, they were about to kill the other, in the next, they were sharing secret glances like they do in those spy movies! Dorea had been anxious when he was… sick, put herself in between him and the terrorists when he wasn’t awake, and it was obvious by the way Draco taunted her from time to time about <em>‘how skinny she was if she didn’t eat’ </em>that cared about her too, but he still couldn’t understand the dynamics.</p>
<p>And that was something! He had never been good at understanding behaviour, but he had studied human psychology and criminal psychology in detail because he was bored. It made him capable of dealing with sharks out there! There was a reason Stark Industries was on top and it all came down to interactions with world leaders apart from his intelligence! Yes, Pepper dealt with everything, but he was still the CEO!</p>
<p>There was nothing he couldn’t understand because Hello!</p>
<p>Genius!</p>
<p>And he wasn’t going to talk about their <em>‘little fantasy world’</em> because it didn’t make any sense! He was one of the few people who were aware of how this world worked and its secrets. It was a different issue that he had never been interested to find out what didn’t concern him. But how could the world not know about a hidden society of wizards and witches if they co-survived with humans? That was another thing. Were these even humans? Were these two aliens? He had always wanted to meet aliens! Ever since he was 4 and had heard his father talking to some scientist about the possibility of another life! These two looked like humans but what did he know? Seemingly, even the Queen… he had got to find out what red-head was about to say!</p>
<p>He had never given it much thought though… because of magic? Witches and wizards? Wizarding world? Really? Were they a part of a children’s movie?</p>
<p>He shouldn’t even consider it because it was all nonsense! But still, a part of him… a very small one hidden somewhere was screaming that these two weren’t stupid. Draco was too smart… not like him, of course! He didn’t think there were many people like him. Well… that was a lie. He didn’t think there was anyone like him and maybe he was being biased, but he wasn’t wrong. He hadn’t met anyone like him in his whole life! Maybe one or two came close, but still, they couldn’t keep up with him. He was really one of a kind, wasn’t he? Okay! Off the topic, so Draco was smart enough, maybe above average than Dorea to sprout shit as she did!</p>
<p>So, there must be a reason they were saying that the machine would destroy their world. He had studied the machine and it was something he hadn’t come across before. And there wasn’t much he didn’t know about! And then there were <em>‘the runes’ </em>printed in Latin.</p>
<p>She had said that <em>‘magic was about channelling your energy through will’ </em>and<em> ‘the bracelet was binding their magic’.</em></p>
<p>And even he had to admit that it was all bizarre.</p>
<p>He wasn’t ashamed to admit that he had been scared when she first told him that she was a witch and the Phineas guy was a look-alike of her godfather and they were all a family! Not a happy one, but still a family. The hidden world, a war no one knew about and people who were all related to each other. But the more he worked with Draco, he realised that the man wasn’t crazy. He had not much to go on about the girl because she didn’t speak! How can someone stay that quiet? He would go insane if he was asked not to speak for a month! A month! But then again, his mind held information more than a computer could, so it should be explainable… but still!</p>
<p> It was all too much!</p>
<p>But… he had always been curious, which, well… he was a scientist and an engineer so again – self-explanatory!</p>
<p>Which was why he was working on this instrument! It would essentially pick up sound waves or energy vibrations in the air which would let him know if they were telling the truth or not! The little concern he has was about the bracelet, but he’ll find a way to work around it. After all, he wasn’t sure how safe these two were and he wouldn’t risk more than he already had.</p>
<hr/>
<p>April 26<sup>th</sup>, 2020</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>EN: So, this was my first attempt at writing Tony’s Pov. It wasn’t easy and I’m not sure if I succeeded in portraying his character. His mind seems like a complicated place, but what the hell, yea? Do let me know if you liked it?</p>
<p>Just 3 more chapters to go. I might add an epilogue, but that’s undecided yet. I also have a whole series in mind, still unsure if I’ll continue, though.</p>
<p>Positive Criticism is always appreciated unless it is rude or insulting. Have a nice day everyone.</p>
<p>Next update: September 3rd, 2020</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>AN: I do not own Harry Potter or the Marvel Universe. They belong to their respective authors and writers.</p><p>I would like to apologize for any mistakes in advance. Please do not copy this story.</p><p>I finished this one early! Yayy… Do let me know what you think about it?</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tony connected the wires with Draco’s bracelet and looked at the scanner, hoping to read the energy level that the two had told him about. He wasn’t sure whether he would get something extraordinary, but the way Dorea had tried to explain everything about ‘her world’ and because they had been practically living in the same room for such a long time, he had begrudgingly accepted that she didn’t seem as delusional as he’d first thought.</p><p>Even though neither of the two had tried to ‘inform’ him more about ‘their world’ since his meltdown, but he wasn’t a genius only because he was the son of Howard Stark. No. He was more accepting than his father? Yeah… let's go with that. He was more accepting of odd things than any other scientist would be. Not to mention, he couldn’t just disregard the bizarre conversations the two had all the times!</p><p>The first thing he had noticed was the two talking about wands! Wands! They had wands before it was taken from them and they were kidnapped! That’s how their magic worked. If they were telling the truth, he would have to find out about wands and if he could find one for himself! Dorea had said that a muggle couldn’t use magic, but meh… He would work something out if he got his hands on a magic stick!</p><p>Then there was Hogwarts – a school for wizards and witches they attended together in Scotland; Quidditch – a wizarding sport played on a broomstick and Dorea had always been a better player even though Draco had the newest and fastest broomstick; Galleon – wizarding money; Azkaban – A prison for wizarding criminals; Ministry of Magic - Government agency which would explain why she had told him that she ‘kinda’ worked for the British government and lastly, these two were the part of Magical Law Enforcement Squad – Wizard police, specially trained to deal with powerful criminals.</p><p>You couldn’t just make this stuff up! Not until you’re an author and none of them seemed like a writer to him. The way they carried themselves reminded him too much of James.</p><p>He shook himself out of his thoughts when he heard Draco calling his name and focused on the task at hand. The wires were connected and his scanner was ready. One look at Draco, who looked on the verge of having a panic attack and Tony almost rolled his eyes. If these people were so advanced, how in the world they didn’t know about technology? He had to assure the man that the scanner was safe and would do him no harm before he had reluctantly agreed, but not before mumbling something about <em>‘muggles and their torture devices’</em>.</p><p>Now that he thought about it, Dorea seemed unbothered and she even knew a little bit about technology. Not much, mind you, but certainly more than her partner… which was why she didn’t seem freaked out, or maybe it was because she wasn’t being <em>‘experimented on’</em>. She would’ve been a better candidate, but somehow, the thought of asking her hadn’t even crossed his mind. She didn’t speak much, silently observing what they were doing from a corner most of the times or she was lost in her thoughts the other. Maybe that was because she had a family? A child, from what he gathered. He couldn’t even imagine what he must be going through if he had left someone behind. A kid, no less.</p><p>But the thing was, he wasn’t as close to her as he was to Draco. Well… he wouldn’t say close exactly, but the man had helped make his life a little less miserable, so, buddy? Yes, that was the word. Though it was Dorea who made him understood that he shouldn’t give up and she was the one who gave him food from time to time. Without Jarvis, he forgot that he needed food or sleep, but Dorea had cooked almost all their meals without a word despite the taunts she threw ‘Malfoy’s’ way from time to time. But that seemed like a mutual thing between the two.</p><p>“Well, get on with it!” Draco snapped and again, Tony had to blink out of his thoughts.</p><p>He gave the blonde a sheepish smile, earning an exasperated sigh, while Dorea looked at the wires connected to the bracelet curiously. Observing, as usual.</p><p>He turned on the button and looked at the scanner, waiting to read the energy levels that he’d been hearing about and frowned at the negative result.</p><p>“This isn’t right.” He mumbled, fiddling with the wires again.</p><p>“What? What is it?” Draco asked panicked.</p><p>“It doesn’t make sense. It was supposed to pick up any sound waves or energy vibrations around us, which would’ve told me what type of energy is it that you use for...” he pointed at the wires connected to the bracelet and added, “Only it doesn’t have any radiation level. At all! Which isn’t possible because quantum energy stirs in the air all the time! It surrounds the atmosphere! Maybe this machine isn’t working? It has to wrong.”</p><p>He was ready to pull out his hair when Dorea said, “That’s because you’ve connected it to the bracelet which is made specifically to neutralize the energy.”</p><p>Tony shook his head and stated, “…but still there should be something. It’s against the laws of physics for somet…”</p><p>His words died in his throat when the girl in question moved without his notice, placed her fingers on Draco’s bracelet, and it lit up like fire… a few more seconds of him gawking like a fish out of water and right in front of his eyes, the metal bracelet turned to dust. There was not even a speck left and the wires were left hanging mid-air!</p><p>And before he could process what had happened, his scanner burst into flames. He jumped back, shocked to his core at the turn of events and stared at the wrist where the bracelet should’ve been, blinking couple of times, just for good measures.</p><p>His mind suddenly burst with millions of questions, but he didn’t know which one to ask first. Thankfully, that was taken out his hands when an equally stunned Draco asked, “How?’</p><p> “I’ve been trying to break the damned thing for months now. I couldn’t break mine, but…” Dorea shrugged.</p><p>“You could’ve died!” Draco hissed angrily.</p><p>“Don’t be dramatic! I wouldn’t have died!” Dorea huffed.</p><p>“Always trying to show off, Potter! That little stunt drained your magic faster than it should’ve! You’re bleeding!” Draco pointed wildly, making her frown as she wiped her nose with the dirty sleeve of her dress.</p><p>“It’s nothing.” She whispered with a grimace, but her words had no effect because Draco ignored them and admitted somewhat mournfully, “I can’t do wandless magic.”</p><p>Dorea said nothing but shrugged it off. First, he didn’t understand what exactly it meant until he noticed the bracelet on her hand. Draco couldn’t do ‘wandless magic’, which probably meant that the bracelet on her wrist won’t come off as Draco’s had. Meaning – she knew how to use whatever energy it was better than Draco did.</p><p>He saw Draco made her sit on the nearest cot and handed her a mug of water, which she took gratefully and gulped it all down. It was a good thing he did because Tony was still frozen, unable to understand how exactly things were working. For months he had waved the two as mad, but guess what? They weren’t! And it made him feel guilty for treating her as non-existent and he gulped. Because if it all was true, then it would mean she hadn’t been wrong. And apparently, she had magic!</p><p>Everything he had known was being challenged by someone he thought was delusional!</p><p>He wanted to laugh hysterically, but he didn’t. It would only prove that he was the mental one.</p><p>It was probably the shock that he didn’t notice the voices until the door of the cave was thrown open. Five men entered inside with their guns pointed at the three of them, pushing Yinsen as always. If he had to guess, there were more than five just outside the gate, but what none of them had anticipated was seeing Phineas. The man strolled in at a leisurely pace and a smile on his face which made him shiver.</p><hr/><p>They knew that the days were passing only because the men came from time to time to demand that they worked quicker. They hadn’t been visited by Phineas for which Dorea was grateful if a little concerned. Although she never wanted to see him again, she knew it wasn’t an option. And she was proved right when he stopped in front of her smiled like they were old friends. She wanted to bash his face somewhere and if she tried hard, she knew she could after months pf trying, even if it killed her, but she knew she didn’t have enough energy left to deal with the 20 terrorists that came along and that would mean not getting the two others killed as well and she couldn’t do it. Not when they had been doing everything in their power to go back home. Not when they were so, so close. So, she reigned in her anger and settled at glaring at the man.</p><p>Their leader, the one she had seen the first day, shoved Tony aside and moved towards the table where a couple of pages were lying. The ones which held Tony’s design of the robot and bit her bottom lip to stay quiet.</p><p>She knew, him coming here now was no coincidence. They came to check the progress from time to time. But something felt off this time. Even the leader seemed angry like he couldn’t wait to get done with them. Did they see Draco’s bracelet vanishing? She had made sure that the cameras weren’t on them when she did it, but she should’ve known better! Should’ve waited! There could be hidden cameras all around they didn’t know about! What had she been thinking?</p><p>She peaked at Draco, who was staring at Phineas, utterly baffled, but had both his hands hidden behind his back. Tony was staring at the man holding his design with hard eyes and a blank face.</p><p>Phineas moved towards the burned scanner which was still hot and studied it like a piece of art. He cocked his head to the side and said as if disappointed, “I thought we had an understanding, Dorea, but you disappointed me.”</p><p>She knew he wouldn’t hesitate to kill them and swallowed a lump in her throat before replying, “We’ve been working on your machines for months. It isn’t easy as we haven’t seen anything like it before. They’re trying everything they can…”</p><p>He tutted, cutting her off and asked softly, “You think I'm a fool?” And then he said something which sent chills down her spine. “I’ve been keeping an eye on you for years now. I know how you work, Miss Potter.”</p><p>The tone was mocking and his eyes were shining with madness. “I’ll make you regret ever trying to cross me.”</p><p>His eyes never left hers, but he gave a single nod. There was a gunshot and the next thing she knew, Yinsen collapsed on the floor. There was a wound right between his eyes, which were staring glassily at the ceiling and it took her a moment to register that he was dead. He had been killed for what? Just to prove a point?</p><p>She could feel Draco’s body tense beside her, while Tony had gone pale.</p><p>She tore her eyes away from the man lying on the floor and managed to croak out, “Why? He didn’t do anything.”</p><p>“We didn’t need him anymore.” Phineas shrugged. “You need initiative? I thought I should give you one.”</p><p>Dorea was left stunned and maybe she was feeling out of sorts because another shot rang in the cave and beside her, Draco collapsed. There was nothing but ringing in her ears and a loud gasp escaped her. There was a gaping hole in his stomach that was quickly filling with blood as it gushed out. She felt like crying and didn’t notice a few stray tears that escaped her. Her lower lip trembled and she bit it to keep herself from screaming. Draco wanted to leave this place. He wanted to be a better father to his son that Lucius had been to him. He had been so excited when he’d told her about Astoria’s pregnancy and this man had taken all of that from him. It was his fault. She felt an uncontrollable rage, she hadn’t felt since Sirius was killed.</p><p>She clenched her fists and glared at Phineas. Her anger must’ve been visible in her eyes because his smile fell and even the men behind him tensed and pointed their guns at her. With her anger, the magic that had been simmering inside her for months lashed out wildly. There was a strong gust of wind and the bracelet on her fell to the floor in pieces.</p><p>Phineas stumbled back, staring at her wide-eyed and gasped, “It’s not possible.”</p><p>Dorea’s lips thinned even further and she raised both her palms in the air. She didn’t look away from Phineas, but said with steel in her voice, “Tony, gather everything important and could you please lift Draco and hold him tight? We’re getting out of here.”</p><p>She knew leaving Tony’s designs and notes here would be disastrous. She felt bad for leaving the unfinished pieces of his metal robot here, but there wasn’t much she could do. It was that or they would be all dead within minutes and Draco needed immediate attention. She couldn’t just let him die.</p><p>And with that, she unleashed her power.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>EN: So, I couldn’t get the idea out of my head and here it is! It will have 5-6 chapters, one of which is almost finished.</p><p>Positive Criticism is always appreciated unless it is rude or insulting. Have a nice day everyone.</p><p>Next Update: September 6th, 2020</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>AN: I do not own Harry Potter or the Marvel Universe. They belong to their respective authors and writers.</p><p>Please do not copy this story. I would like to apologize for any mistakes in advance as the author hasn't slept in two bloody days! </p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The first thing she did was conjured a shield around the three of them, knowing it would give Tony enough time to collect his documents and her to deal with Phineas and his men.</p><p>Although they were holding her at gunpoint, the naked fear in their eyes was clearly visible. Especially Phineas. He was staring at her like she was a ticking time bomb and would take him down any moment now. Well, he wasn’t wrong. If he had kept his eyes on her all these years, he would know how unpredictable she could be and that she wasn’t going to let him leave this cave while he was still breathing.</p><p>Her magic felt wild beneath her fingers, almost bursting to find a way out after being locked for such a long time and she wasn’t sure whether she could control it or not. At the moment, she felt like a missile ready to destroy everything around her and she knew there was no way for her to reign it in. She could hear her blood rushing through her veins, could sense the thrumming of her magic just under her skin, could feel the raw energy as she had never before, felt more powerful than she ever had and knew that she was ready to finish this… ready to end them all, give these two men a way out they so badly wanted, a way to live the life they so desired.</p><p>Green eyes locked with blue and Phineas gulped visibly before he took a tentative step forward, raised both his hands in a placating gesture and spoke, “I - Leave him.” He pointed at Tony. “Leave him and we’ll let you go, both of you.”</p><p>She arched an eyebrow at that because this, she hadn’t anticipated. A quick look at Tony was enough to tell her that the man had frozen in place. His eyes had widened and he had paled to an alarming degree. Any other time, she would’ve been worried because he looked ready to faint, but right now, she didn’t have time to calm him down. They needed to move, or they would be dead.</p><p>“I’m sorry, but I would have to decline.” She told Phineas with a tiny smile before turning towards Tony and snapped, “Tony! Now!”</p><p>That was enough to startle him out of his trance and he rushed to destroy everything that he couldn’t take.</p><p>Dorea just had enough time to focused her attention back on Phineas to see him nodding at his men and the next thing she knew; the sounds of gunshots filled the cave. Her whole body jerked as bullets hit her shield with enough force to make her lose focus, but she held on and thankfully, they weren’t able to breach it. She didn’t know how long would she be able to hold, so she held the shield with her left hand, while waved the other in Phineas’s direction, who flew back along with three men standing beside him and collided with the wall of the cave. Then, she thrust her palm in the direction of men standing on her right side and made a grabbing motion. All their guns flew towards her and fell on the ground right next to her feet. The men stared at her horrified and while some rushed out the cave, others weren’t as afraid. They kept on firing while she threw spells after spells at them, but she was alone and there were too many of them. She could see cracks in her shield and didn’t know how long she would be able to hold on.</p><p>A quick glance at Tony made her sigh with relief that he had burned everything that could be used to harm anyone. She felt bad for him but shook herself. This wasn’t the time.</p><p>A moments distraction cost her because the next thing she felt was pain and the shield around them crumbled like a glass wall. The force of it along with the bullet she’d been hit with was too much and she fell back, the back of her head colliding with the wooden table. The pain was too much and an ear-piercing scream escaped her, drowning everything out.</p><p>There was the sound of an explosion and more screaming as she slumped on the floor. Everything around her was blurry and blinked try to clear the black spots from her vision. She couldn’t feel anything but cold and she couldn’t remember why? Why was it so cold? She tried to move her head but another wave of pain made her tear up.</p><p>She closed her eyes for a moment, just a moment, but someone shook her.</p><p>A hand touched her cheek and she flinched at the wet feeling. Why was it wet?</p><p>“Dorea? Dorea…” A choked voice called and for a moment she forgot that it was her. She couldn’t remember where she was… not until she blearily looked up and saw concerned brown eyes staring down at her.</p><p>Tony.</p><p>Yes, his name was Tony and he was covered in blood. Draco had been shot and was dying. Would die if they didn’t get out of this place.</p><p>She pushed herself off the floor, but almost fell back when her body refused to cooperate.</p><p>“Whoa!” Tony grabbed her waist, pulling her up with no effort at all.</p><p>Dorea swayed on her feet and grabbed the table she was leaning against. Tony was still holding her hand or she would’ve fallen, but she steadied herself. She didn’t think she had felt this much pain in her life and with her record, that was saying something. It took an effort to open her eyes before looking around and was shocked to find out that the room was littered with blood and askew body parts.</p><p>Her eyes snapped shut and she resisted the urge to puke because she knew she did that.</p><p>“Can you stand?” Tony’s tentative voice said as his hand hovered uselessly over her, in case she needed help.</p><p>Instead of replying, she took a shuddering breath and said in a whisper, “Help Draco please.”</p><p>He looked at her dubiously but hurried towards Draco, who had fainted by now and picked him up. Dorea glanced at the mouth of the cave where the sunlight was shining brightly and closed her eyes. She could hear voices and knew more men would be here soon. They needed to leave because she couldn’t fight anymore. She didn’t have anything left.</p><p>She wobbled towards the two men and looked at Tony. His eyes were wide as he stared towards the gate and whispered, “They’re coming.”</p><p>Dorea marvelled how calm he sounded despite the alarm she could see on his face. It took all her effort not to cry with pain when she touched both Draco and Tony’s hands. It must’ve startled Tony because his eyes snapped towards her.</p><p>“Close your eyes.” She whispered.</p><p>He searched her face for something, but in the next second, he did. He tightened his hold on Draco and snapped his eyes shut.</p><p>Dorea closed her eyes and jerked when she felt a bullet punching its way through her back. She bit her lip, but couldn’t stop the tears as she twisted her arm and then they were falling… falling until they crashed into the sand and she let out a pained moan.</p><hr/><p>One of his hands was into the sand beneath him, while the other was holding his chest, while He doubled over and vomited the few bites, he had managed to choke down a couple of hours ago. He didn’t know what she had done, but he never wanted to do it again. Not even if his life depended on it. It had felt as if someone had stolen his breath and he was having a heart attack. Once done, he wiped his mouth with the back of his tattered sleeve and grimaced at the feeling in his mouth.</p><p>He took in the blessed air and opened his eyes, only then realising that he wasn’t in the cave anymore! The camp was nowhere in sight! No, he was in a dessert! He was free! He was going home! Back to Jarvis and his Rodney and Pepper and Happy!</p><p>He wanted to cheer with joy until he remembered that he had forgotten all about his companions! And he wouldn’t be here without them! Without Dorea!</p><p>He whirled around, frantically trying to search for the two in the scorching heat and found them not far from him. He stood up on shaky legs and rushed towards them, only to fall on his knees beside them. Draco was lying in the sand, looking for all intent and purpose, almost dead. He was as pale as his hair and Tony swallowed a lump in his throat before his eyes moved to Dorea and he frowned. Both her palms were hovering over the wound on Draco’s stomach as she whispered something under her breath. He didn’t understand what she was doing until he saw the hole healing itself. It took a few more seconds and he stared with utter astonishment as there was nothing left but smooth skin and not even a scar.</p><p>But his awe turned to dread within seconds when his eyes fell on Dorea. She was covered in blood just like him, so he had missed the wounds that were now clearly visible. He could see at least four bullet wounds that were oozing blood and she was sweating buckets. How did he miss that? Her eyes met his before they rolled at the back of her head and she slumped sideways.</p><p>Horrified, he rushed to her side, checking for a pulse and was relieved to find one. He couldn’t let her die. He was here and alive because of her. She could’ve left… could’ve saved herself and Draco, but she hadn’t. She had refused to leave without him and was on death’s door because of it. She had a family; a child and he couldn’t let her die. He couldn’t let either of them die.</p><p>He swatted her face, jerked her shoulders frantically and finally she flinched, trying to open her eyes but squeezed them shut. He knelt above her, trying to shade her from the harsh sun and swatted her face again, “Dorea! Hey! Talk to me! Dorea! Dorea? Can you heal yourself?”</p><p>She squinted at him and tried to shake her head, but a pained whimper escaped her. Tears flew down her cheeks and into her hair and he closed his eyes miserably. He looked at Draco and was relieved to see that the man was breathing. They could get him help, but he wasn’t sure about Dorea and he felt his eyes filling with tears.</p><p>“Hey… don’t close your eyes!” He said loudly, trying to keep her awake, for how long he wasn’t sure.</p><p>She whispered something and he had to lean his ear towards her mouth to hear what it was.</p><p>“Tke’ Draco – ‘n lve’.”</p><p>Tony shook his head without his knowledge and said, “We had a plan! I promised you I’ll take the two of you to the best burger joint ever once we’re out of here! You can’t die without trying the American cheeseburger!”</p><p>When she didn’t reply, he shook her again and tried, “No, no, no! Come on! Come on! You just have to keep your eyes open and I’ll hire the best doctor in the world! I’ve heard they are the best! And then you can go back to your kid! you said you had a kid, right? You can’t leave him!”</p><p>“Ted.” Came the mumbled reply and said desperately, “You’re a witch, aren’t you? Normal rules don’t apply to you and your kind! Wake up! You've got to stay with me!”</p><p>She jerked awake, looking up at him confused and asked slowly, “Mr Stark?”</p><p>“It’s me, Tony. You’ve gotta stay awake, alright and we’ll get help. Rhodes will find us. He’s in the air force. Did I tell you about him? He’ll have the team of best doctors and you’ll be alright. Both of you and then you can go back to your kids and…”</p><p>“Tony…” she rasped and he stopped his blabbering. “G’me ‘ur ‘and…”</p><p>He frowned, trying to understand her words and stared confused when she bought her hand up, waiting for him to hold it? He did, unsure what she wanted, but gaped when a small ball-like thing which was shining brightly emerged from his chest and flew somewhere in the sky, too fast for him to see. He was left speechless and when he looked down at the girl, she had fainted.</p><p>He tried to shake her awake, but she didn’t. by now, her clothes were drenched and he took a shuddering breath. He tried to check her pulse, but by now, his hands were shaking so badly, that he wasn’t sure he would be able to find one even if it was there. Readying himself for what he would find, he pulled her tattered shirt up and swallowed the bile that was steadily rising. He had been correct. Four bullet wounds were bleeding and he had no way to stop them. Tentatively, he turned her aside and she flinched away from his touch as if burned, but he needed to see if she was hurt anywhere else or not. Her chances were looking bleak and he wasn’t sure if she’d make another hour.</p><p>He swore under his breath and hung his head defeatedly when he saw another bullet wound on her shoulder blade and blood, that had soaked her hair. Tony didn’t know what to do and he slumped uselessly.</p><p>He didn’t know whether she was listening or not, but he held her hand in his and said miserably, “I’m sorry for thinking that you were demented. You aren’t! You are the bravest person I know. Your kid will be proud of you. I would like to meet him someday. And I promise you… if – if, something happens to you… I’ll take care of your kid in any way I can. I know I had no right, but I can still keep an eye on him, yeah? And Draco will help. I know he will.”</p><p>Tony didn’t believe in God. Never had, but for the first time since he had lost his mother, he prayed.</p><p>It wasn’t long after, he heard the sound that he knew too well and his head snapped up to see two army choppers hovering over them and for the first time since he remembered, Tony Stark cried.</p><hr/><p>She felt strange. Numb. But somehow, she felt like she was floating. Was this how being dead felt? Was she dead? But if she was, then who did the voice belong to? Someone was begging… for what she wasn’t sure.</p><p>“Come on… please! You saved us. You can’t die!”</p><p>She remembered the voice, but she couldn’t remember who it belonged to. There was something in the back of her mind like she was forgetting something, but right now, she could care less. All she wanted was to sleep.</p><p>...</p><p>There was a hand on cheek, shaking her. The same voice saying something, but she felt like she was underwater.</p><p>...</p><p>The next thing she heard was a name… a shout of a name – Tony, and again she was lost.</p><p>...</p><p>“Tony! What the hell?” Another voice she didn’t recognise.</p><p>...</p><p>“They need help! Now!"</p><p>“Helped… shot… they…”</p><p>“Blood…”</p><p>...</p><p>There was something inside her… something that wanted out and without much thought, she let it out.</p><p>There was a scream of the same name again.</p><p>“Tony!”</p><p>“Tony!”</p><p>“Tony!”</p><p>...</p><p>The same voice spoke to her again and again and again!</p><p>“Please…</p><p>...</p><p>Hang on… your kid…”</p><p>A warm hand gripping hers tightly and for some strange reason, she felt safe and finally, her world faded into darkness.</p><hr/><p>September 4<sup>th</sup>, 2020</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>EN: One last chapter to go which will be posted as soon as I can. Not much of a romance here, but this had always been the plot. I have another part planned which will be the part of this series. If anyone’s interested in reading a series, do let me know. Also, I’m eager to know what you think of this one.</p><p>Positive Criticism is always appreciated unless it is rude or insulting. Have a nice day everyone.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So, I was trying to get back to writing my pending stories and this was the result. It has around 7-9 chapters, 6 of which are done and I’ll be updating a chapter every week. My city is almost Corona free and the government has opened almost everything, but the schools and colleges. Let's hope things get better and we get rid of this soon.</p><p>Meanwhile, I’m trying to finish my other works, which are not abandoned! I’ll be posting Shadow in the Starlight and my other 3 short stories as soon as they’re finished.</p><p>Positive Criticism is always appreciated unless it is rude or insulting. Have a nice day everyone.</p><p>Next chapter will be posted on Aug 7th.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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